Judge Bends the Rules for Diddy as Final Plea Deal Falls Through

Sean "Diddy" Combs scored a minor win in court after a federal judge ruled the music mogul can wear business casual to his upcoming criminal trial, where he is facing multiple felony charges.

Judge Arun Subramanian of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York approved a motion this week allowing the 54-year-old disgraced rapper to appear before the jury in non-prison attire. As TMZ reports, in court docs, the judge allows the Bad Boy Records founder to wear five button-down shirts, five pants, five sweaters, five pairs of socks, and two pairs of shoes that don't lace up.

The alteration aims to ensure Diddy is not prejudged based on his appearance and is in line with standard procedure in criminal trials, where it is customary for defendants to sport civilian clothes to avoid affecting a jury's first impression.

Until now, Diddy has appeared at all court hearings in a jail-issued jumpsuit.

Plea Deal Falls Through as Trial Nears

The choice follows Diddy's final rejected plea deal from prosecutors during a pretrial hearing on Thursday, May 1. Both legal teams and the presiding judge met for the final conference before jury selection.

Diddy is facing five charges across three separate federal indictments, including sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and interstate transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and continues to deny any criminal wrongdoing, including the claims made in numerous civil lawsuits.

Opening statements are set to begin on May 12. Jury selection is set to start Monday, May 5, with a pool of candidates expected to be whittled down over multiple days before the trial goes ahead.

Diddy's lawyers have repeatedly tried to have him released on bail, but each time, they have been denied. Past proposals included a total house arrest with no contact with women, as well as monitored access logs, but none were approved.

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P. diddy, Sean Combs, Diddy